A ramen pop-up shop with Afro-inspired flavors is settling down at a permanent location this year.
Owner Airian Mcduffy recently submitted a liquor license application for Soul Ramen coming to 508 E Pershing Road, Suite 1. This is a project she has been working on for over two years. Mcduffy told What Now Chicago she is hoping to open in two months.
Mcduffy is also a realtor in the Chicago area, with a passion for cooking. She has made headlines in the past, with Soul Ramen being featured on Chicago’s Fox 32 station in August. At the time, the pop-up was at the Taste of Sunshine food festival at Navy Pier.
Those who have visited the pop-up already know her signature dishes are the gumbo ramen and oxtail dumplings. Their gumbo ramen is typically served out of a large pot at the pop-up events. For this venture, she is joining local chef Rahim Muhammad to open the Afro-inspired ramen shop.
The new location is on the north side of Bronzeville, near the corner of E Pershing Road and S Rhodes Avenue. This plaza is also across the street from DG Market
Soul Ramen originally broke ground for the new location in November 2024. For more information on Soul Ramen and the opening date, visit their Instagram @soulramenchi.
